Article supporting cradle



March 27, 1962 R. K. YOUTIE ARTICLE SUPPORTING CRADLE Filed June 50, 1958 FIG; 2

PEG. 3

INVENTOR.

3,026,981 ARTICLE SUPPORTING CRADLE Robert K. Youtie, Haddonfield, NJ. (3201 PSFS Bldg, 12 S. 12th St., Philadelphia, Pa.) Filed June 30, 1958, Ser. No. 745,711 12 Claims. (Cl. 193--35) This invention relates generally to an article supporting device or cradle of the general type disclosed in copending patent application Serial No. 706,674 filed January 10, 1958, now abandoned, of which this application is a continuation in part.

While the device of the present invention is primarily developed for use in conjunction with boat hauling trailers, and will be illustrated and described hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it is understood that the device is capable of many varied applications, all of which are intended to be comprehended herein.

As is well known to those versed in the field of boat trailers, a problem exists in properly centering the boat during loading on a trailer. This often requires at least one person to manually guide the boat to properly center it, while another person pulls the boat toward the trailer by a winch and cable. At best, this operation requires two persons even for relatively small boats, and may involve a number of tries before the bow properly engages the trailer.

While there have been proposed certain constructions for overcoming this difficulty, these constructions themselves are subject to serious disadvantages, for example,

ice

ing ground engageable running gear or wheels 11, and shown as carrying a pair of forwardly and rearwardly spaced cradles 12 and 13, respectively.

The frame or substructure 10 may be of the A type,

5 including a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally exin necessitating additional structure or attachments to a trailer, and in their unreliability in use.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a cradle structure which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages in prior devices and automatically effects proper centering of a boat bow being loaded on a trailer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cradle structure having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph which is of the general type disclosed in the copending patent application.

'It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device of the type described which is simple and rugged in construction, durable and reliable in use, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specifications and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a rear perspective view illustrating a boat and trailer employing a cradle structure constructed according to the teachings of the present invention, partly broken away to conserv space;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating an early stage in the boat loading procedure employing the apparatus of the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, showing in solid lines a fully loaded boat on the instant apparatus, and illustrating in phantom an intermediate stage in the boat loading operation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, there is illustrated the ein a mobile structure or frame, generally designated 10, havtending, downwardly facing side pieces or channels 15 convergent at their forward regions 16. A forwardly extending central tongue 17, projects from the juncture of the channel portions 16, and is provided at its forward region with an upstanding winch assembly 18.

Extending laterally between the rearward regions of the side pieces 15 are a pair of forwardly and rearwardly spaced generally parallel, inverted channels or frame members 20 and 21. That is, the rearward frame member 21 extends laterally between and has its opposite ends fixedly secured to the rear ends of the side pieces '15, as by welding or other suitable securing means; and the forward laterally extending frame member 20 extends parallel and in forwardly spaced relation with respect to the rear frame member 21, having its opposite ends fixedly secured to the side members 15 adjacent to and spaced forward from the rear ends of the latter.

The forward cradle 12 may include a pair of laterally spaced, upstanding arms, pedestals or anchors 25, each fixedly secured to and projecting upward from a respective side piece 15 adjacent to the forward end thereof. The anchor members or pedestals 25 may be fixed to the frame pieces 15 by welding or other suitable securing means. Extending between and having its opposite ends secured to the arms 25, is a flexible, elongate support 26. The support 26 may include a flexible cable 27 having its opposite ends anchored to the arms 25 and having its region intermediate the arms covered with a sheath 28 of flexible, preferably yielding material. Each of the arms 25 is provided with a rotary thrust bearing 29 of any suitable construction, to which the outer ends of the cable 27 are respectively secured, so that the cable is axially rotatably suspended between the arms. The length of the flexible support 26 may be such as to provide the desired catenary curve for conformably engaging with a particular boat hull; and, the thickness or external diameter of the support, especially of the sheath 28, is sufficient to maintain a boat hull supported thereon spaced from the arms 25.

The rear cradle or support 13 may include a pair of carrier members arranged in substantial alignment with each other extending laterally of the frame 10 between the frame members 20 and 21. The carrier members.

are designated 31 and each includes an inner arm 32, which arms have their inner ends located contiguous to each other centrally of the frame 10 and extend therefrom oppositely away from each other laterally outward with respect to the frame. The outer end of each carrier member arm 32 is provided with an upstanding generally T-shaped arm or anchor 33 projecting upward from its respective arm 32 beyond the frame members 24 21 and provided on its upper end with a cross piece 34 extending longitudinally of the frame. Thus, the upstanding arms 33 define laterally spaced, facing T-shaped elements and serve as anchor members, as will appear more fully hereinafter. The adjacent or inner ends of the inner arms 32 of carrier members 31 are located laterally centrally of the frame 10 between the frame members 20 and 21, and there mounted for pivotal movement about axes extending longitudinally of the frame. That is, a pair of pivot shafts or pins 37 extend in substantial parallelism longitudinally of the frame 10, laterally centrally thereof, and each has its opposite ends respectively journalled in the frame members 20 and 21. The forward ends of the pivot shafts 37 are rotatably supported by suitable journal means in the frame member 20 while the rearward ends of the shaft are suitably journalled in the frame member 21, to thereby mount the carrier members 31 for swinging movement to and away from each other. More specifically, the upstanding arms 33 are thereby mounted for movement laterally toward and away from each other, moving upward toward each other and downward away from each other.

In order to constrain the carrier members 31 to equal and simultaneous swinging movement about their supporting shafts 37, a pair of meshing, equal diameter gears 33 are respectively carried by the shafts 37 for rotation therewith. The gears 38 may be concealed within and enclosed by the frame member 21, as illustrated.

Extending laterally of the frame between the cross pieces 34 of the T-shaped arms or anchor members 33 are a pair of forwardly and rearwardly spaced flexible, elongate supports 49. The flexible supports 40 may be substantially identical, with the forward support extending between and having its opposite ends secured to respective forward ends of the cross members 34, and the rear support extending between and having its opposite ends respectively secured to the rearward ends of the cross members 34. As may be observed in FIG. 1, the cross members 34 extend rearward beyond the rearward frame member 21, and the rear support 40 is thereby located rearward beyond the rear frame member. A pair of the supports 46 is especially desirable in carrying a boat having a heavily loaded transom, as by an outboard motor. If desired, a single support 40 may be employed in the cradle 13, rather than two such supports.

Each of the supports 40 is very freely flexible so as not to restrain free and easy swinging movement of the carrier members 31 toward and away from each other, except as to limit carrier movement outward by taut extension of the supports. It is preferred that the carrier members 31 and the flexible supports 40 be proportioned such that upon swinging movement of the carrier members toward each other the supports will depend freely from the outer carrier member ends without engaging any obstructions, and that the lowermost regions of the supports be spaced above the nether portions of the frame and carrier members. In this manner, the freely flexible supports may conformably engage with hull surfaces of widely varying contours.

Each of the supports 40 may include an elongate flexible core or cable 41 extending laterally between the carrier member arms 33 and having its opposite ends axially rotatably anchored to respective cross members 34, as by suitable rotary thrust bearings 42 carried in the cross members. That is, the rotary thrust bearings 42, which may be conventional, roller or ball bearing, are

, carried in the rearward and forward ends of the cross members 34; and, the cables 41 extend between and are anchored at their opposite ends to respective bearings 42 so as to be axially rotatably supported by the latter. Each of the supports 40 further includes a flexible sheath or covering 43 circumposed about the respective cable 41 between the carrier member arms 33. The sheaths or covers 43 are preferably of a soft or yieldable, and highly flexible nature, such as of soft rubber or the like, so as to be freely flexible with and not restrain the flexure of the cable. Also, the covers or sheaths 43 are advantageously of an external diameter or thickness such as to engage with and support a boat hull spaced from the carrier members 31.

Operation of the instant device may be understood from FIGS. 2 and 3. In the former figure is illustrated a transverse cross section of the forward part or bow of a .boat 45 having just been pulled up onto a support 40 as by the winch assembly 18. It will be noted that the hull 45 is laterally oif-center with respect to the cradle 13, as commonly occurs. Upon depression of the flexible support 4%) by the hull 45, the carrier members 31 are caused to swing equal amounts upward and toward each other. This causes the shorter portion of the flexed support member on onevside of the hull 45 to assure a relatively great angle with respect to the horizontal, while the longer portion of the support member of the other side (the right hand side in FIG. 2), assumes a lesser angle with respect to the horizontal, so that the boat hull tends to slide downward and rightward to the approximate center or mid point of the support, its lowest possible position. This condition is shown in phantom in FIG. 3, wherein the boat hull a has been automatically centered with respect to the cradle 13 and frame 10 in the manner described above. Upon continued movement of the boat hull forward, being facilitated by the rotation of the supports 40, the forward boat hull part engages with and is conformably received on the forward cradle 26. The solid line boat hull section 45b in FIG. 3 illustrates a fully supported stern section on the cradle 13 with the supports 40 conformably engaging with the boat hull.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides an article supporting cradle of the type described which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to the practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article supporting cradle comprising a substructure, a pair of oppositely outwardly extending arms mounted on said sub-structure for movement relative to said substructure of the outer arm ends upwards towards each other and downward away from each other, means constraining said arms to simultaneous motion relative to said substructure toward and away from each other, and freely bendable axially rotatable support means extending between the outer ends of said arms to permit substantially unrestrained movement of said arms toward and away from each other.

2. An article supporting cradle according to claim 1, wherein said support means is of a length to depend freely when said arms are in their upward position of movement with the lower region of said support above the lower region of said arms.

3. An article supporting cradle according to claim 1, said arms being pivotally mounted on said sub-structure for swngng movement upward toward and downward away from each other.

4. An article supporting cradle according to claim 1, said constraining means connecting said arms together for substantially equal simultaneous movement relative to said substructure toward and away from each other.

5. An article supporting cradle comprising a substructure, a pair of laterally spaced anchor elements mounted on said sub-structure for simultaneous movement relative to said substructure toward and away from each other, and freely bendable axially rotatable support means extending between said anchor elements and suspended above said sub-structure, said support means being bendable to permit movement of said anchor elements toward and away from each other.

6. An article supporting cradle according to claim 5,

' wherein said support means is of a length to depend freepair of generally horizontal substantially parallel pivots respectively connecting the inner arm ends to said substructure to mount said arms on said substructure for upward movement against gravity of the outer arm ends about the axes of respective pivots, positive connection means on the inner ends of said arms connecting the latter together for substantially equal simultaneous up-anddown movement of said outer arm ends, and axially rotatable roller means above said arms and connected to the outer arm ends for tree axial rotation while permitting substantially unrestrained equal and simultaneous upand-down movement of said outer arm ends.

9. An article supporting cradle according to claim 8, wherein said roller means extend between said outer arm ends to limit downward movement thereof.

10. A cradle construction comprising a substructure, a pair of opposed carriers superposed on said substructure and each including an upstanding anchor and an arm extending rigidly from the lower region of said anchor with their arms extending inward toward and terminating short of each other, said carriers being mounted on said substructure for swinging movement of said anchors toward and away from each other with said anchors yieldably urged apart, means connecting the inner ends of said arms for simultaneous movement of said anchors toward and away from each other, and a bendable axially rotatable support extending between said anchors above said substructure.

11. An article supporting cradle comprising a substructure, a pair of arms having their inner ends proximate to each other and having their outer ends extending oppositely outward away from each other, a pair of generally horizontal substantially parallel pivots respectively connecting the arms to said substructure to mount said arms on said substructure for upward movement against gravity of the outer arm ends about the axes of respective pivots, positive connection means on the inner ends of said arms connecting the latter together for substanially equal simultaneous up-and-down movement of the outer arm ends, and axially rotatable roller means connected between the upper sides of said arms for movement therewith into supporting engagement with an article to be supported.

12. A cradle construction comprising a substructure, a pair of opposed carriers superposed on said substructure and each including an upstanding anchor and an arm extending rigidly from the lower region of said anchor with their arms extending inward toward and terminating short of each other, said carriers being mounted on said substructure for swinging movement of said anchors toward and away from each other with said anchors yieldably urged apart, means connecting the inner ends of said arms for simultaneous movement of said anchors toward and away from each other, and a bendable axially rotatable support extending between said anchors above said substructure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 422,734 Copeland Mar. 4, 1890 909,833 Vrooman Jan. 12, 1909 2,277,402 Hoeck Mar. 24, 1942 2,554,398 Brei May 22, 1951 2,652,915 Fox Sept. 22, 1953 2,827,304 Backus Mar. 18, 1958 2,974,777 Marsh Mar. 14, 1961 2,977,012 Maunula Mar. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 742,158 Germany Nov. 23, 1943 

